Gas Prices Rise, Fall On Free Enterprise

The mail call of Dec. 22 under "Payson businesses lacking Christmas spirit" mentioned gasoline prices in Payson. According to the business section of the Santa Barbara News Press of Sunday Oct. 15 of this year, the primary reason, as energy companies control the market, is "red lining" or "zone pricing."

Oil companies won't acknowledge such a practice or otherwise detail their pricing strategies. Insurance companies also follow a similar procedure. It is called free enterprise, and local, state or federal government will not do much about it.